Electrical attachment.



G. L. SCHEEL.

ELECTRICAL ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2. 1911.

Patented Oct 22, 1918.

GEORGE L. SCHEEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 22, 1918,

' Application filed July 2, 1917. Serial No. 178,144.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. SoHEnL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to improvements in electrical attachments, and has for its object the provision of means for prolonging the life and facilitating the use of flexible electrical connections.

The invention consists inthe combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view of an electric iron cord equipped with means embodying my invention,

Fig. 2, a sectional view taken at the plug end of said cord,

Fig. 3, a detail View taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4, a detail view of a rubber band employed in the construction, and

Fig. 5, a detail view illustrating a button hole employed in the construction.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawings, comprises an ordinary threaded electrical plug 6 adapt ed to fit the usual electrical socket in the usual manner and provided with an annular groove 7 at its base. The usual flexible electrical cord 8 consisting of insulated wires 9 is attached to said plug in the usual manner, said attachment being adapted to be employed for connecting an electric iron, telephone, movable light or other electrical device with the usual socket for supplying current thereto.

, A substantially conical resilient rubber sleeve 10 is provided at its larger end or mouth with a bead 11 fitting within the groove 7'attaching the same to plug 6. The sleeve 10 is provided with a. reduced tubular stem 12 closely surrounding the portions of the cord 8 immediately adjacent the plug 6 and having a button hole slit 1?) adapted to receive a substantially spear-head shaped button'14 formed on one end of an ordinary elastic rubber band 15 as indicated. The

other end of the band 15 is provided with another spear-head shaped button 16 secured thereto and the adjacent portion of the band is enlarged at 17 and provided with a button hole slit 18 adapted to receive the button 16 to permit of securing the corresponding end of the band 15 to the cord 8.

In use the sleeve 10 is fitted in position surrounding the connection of the cord 8 with the plug 6, the resiliency of said sleeve preventing sharp bending of the wires of the cord 8 adjacent the-connection with the plug 6 and distributing the bend in said cord so as to prevent the breaking off of the cord adjacent its connection with the plug as frequently happens in use. This arrangement thu prolongs the useful life of the cord and also tends to prevent painful accidents which have sometimes happened due to the breaking of the wires 9 adjacent the plug and the consequent short circuiting due to contact of said broken ends.

The button 14 is engaged through the button hole 13 as indicated and the other end of the band is engaged about the cord 8 on the other side of a bight'or loop 19 formed in said cord, said band thus permitting of extension of the cord as desired, but automatically retracting the same to maintain the bight 19 therein thus preventing the cord from dragging upon the floor or entangling with the feet of the operator or otherwise. The rubber constituting the material of the band 15 is also of non-conducting material which'in case of the wearing off of the insulation at the points of connection tends to further insulate the same and prevent short circuits or grounds at these points.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I

therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

2. The combination with a flexible electrical connection having a bight therein, of an elasticmember of rubber material detachably secured to said connection at opposite ends of said bight and resiliently maintaining said bight therein, substantially as described. v

3. A device for maintaining a bight in a flexible electrical connection consisting of a rubber band having buttons at each end thereof, there being one or more slits in said band to receive one or the other of said buttons, substantially as described.

4. The combination with. a flexible electrical connection having a bight therein, of an elastic member of non-conducting material secured to said connection at one end of said bight and having its other end anchored to resiliently maintain said bight therein.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE L. SCHEEL.

Witnesses:

' JosHUA R. H. Po'r'rs, HELEN F. LILLIS. 

